Adorable Apology YKTTW Discussion

A couple has a bad fight, or maybe one of them makes a nearly unforgivable mistake. Solution? Plan an elaborate, even sickeningly sweet apology to show they know they were in the wrong (or maybe just to get on good terms again). The person apologizing is usually Always Male.

Can also work for two people who are best friends (and not a romantic couple).

The character doing the apologizing may or may not succeed in his or her efforts. It is possible for this trope to enter into Tastes Like Diabetes territory.

Examples

Pretty Woman. Edward greviously insults Vivian and they break up. He finally comes to his senses and drives to her apartment accompanied by the music of La Traviata (an opera she loved) in a white limousine (symbolizing a white horse) and climbs up her fire escape (like a prince climbing a tower) with a bouquet of rose between his teeth to "rescue her" just as she once told him she dreamed would happen. Naturally she forgives him and they live happily ever after.

In As Good As It Gets, Melvin complained about having to buy a sports coat to get into a restaurant when Carol got in with a house dress. She demands he say something nice or she'll leave.

Melvin: I've got a really great compliment for you, and it's true.

Carol: I'm so afraid you're about to say something awful.

Melvin: Don't be pessimistic, it's not your style. Okay, here I go: Clearly, a mistake. I've got this, what - ailment? My doctor, a shrink that I used to go to all the time, he says that in fifty or sixty percent of the cases, a pill really helps. I *hate* pills, very dangerous thing, pills. Hate. I'm using the word "hate" here, about pills. Hate. My compliment is, that night when you came over and told me that you would never... all right, well, you were there, you know what you said. Well, my compliment to you is, the next morning, I started taking the pills.

Carol: I don't quite get how that's a compliment for me.

Melvin: You make me want to be a better man.

Carol: ...That's maybe the best compliment of my life.

Melvin: Well, maybe I overshot a little, because I was aiming at just enough to keep you from walking out.

LA Story. When Harris gets into romantic trouble with Sara he tries to win her back by reciting very bad (Vogon level) poetry to her.

A very often used plot device on The Big Bang Theory . One of the guys (mostly Leonard) tries to apologize to Penny in an awkward fashion, and even though Penny doesn't completely understand it, she forgives them because she just finds it cute.

Parodied in Parks and Recreation: Tom tried to get Ann back this way. He started reenacting typical movie apologies like standing in the rain waiting or publicly confessing his love for her, but failed repeatedly.

Angel: In the episode "Disharmony," Angel short-cuts the need for a potentially lengthy healing process with Cordelia by buying her a bunch of beautiful new clothes which he arranges tastefully in the office area for her to see. As Wesley is explaining to Angel that he may need to give Cordelia some time and space for her to forgive him, Cordelia finds the clothing and squeals with glee. She immediately forgives Angel.

Cordelia: La, la, la, la, new clothes. I have new clothes!

Cordelia and Angel bounce in place together happily before she leaves with her clothes.

Angel (smiling to a pouting Wesley): I got her clothes.

In As Time Goes By (after a fight between Sandy and her current boyfriend), as everyone drives away from Rocky & Madge's wedding, there are signs nailed to the trees down the path saying, "Sandy", "I'm Sorry", and "I Love You"; her boyfriend is waiting for her on his motorcycle at the end of the drive.

Breaking Bad: In season two, Jesse gets involved with a girl who draws superheroes as a hobby. She denies knowing him in front of her father, which hurts his feelings quite a bit. At the end of the episode, she slips a note under his door - a stylized female superhero named "Apology Girl."

Antimony: I suppose this calls for... an even more convoluted scheme that will cause her to be my friend again!

Replies: 16

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